The most common reason that high ability, well prepared students give for switching out of a science, engineering, or math major to a non-science major, at a rate of 40-60% in their first two years of college, is based on the traditional teaching style of most science courses. These students are unwilling to put up with the poor teaching, emphasis on memorization of large bodies of facts, and the "weed out" objectives and culture of these disciplines (see Talking About Leaving: Why Undergraduates Leave the Sciences, Seymour and Hewitt, 2000).

Therefore, science education reforms are to ensure that all citizens are scientifically literate, both majors and non-majors, as well as to try to slow the loss of talent from the science fields.

There are three main areas or my research and teaching that address these issues:

1. Introductory Biology Course and Curriculum Reform

2. Preparing Future Faculty for Participation in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

3. Teaching Scientifically Faculty Learning Communities